Featured Prophecy according to Peter

Peter includes a number of prophetic passages in his preaching in Acts & letters.

In a previous thread the assertion was made about 2 Peter 3 that his reference to "day" & "thousand years" indicated that such terms should be understood literally, as should the thousand years in Rev. 20.

My attempt to discuss the passage in its context was dismissed as off-topic. The prophetic writings of Peter - all prior to the AD 70 destruction - are well worth discussing.

I'll begin by quoting John of Japan's OP & my first reply.

in reply I wrote -
We need to consider the CONTEXT.
2 Peter 3:3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’

Peter was writing around AD 60, as the LAST DAYS of the Old Covenant were coming to an end. Jesus had said in his Olivet prophecy concerning the destruction -
30 ‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. .......34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
But now 30 years had passed & many of the Jewish leaders who had rejected Jesus had died & the next generation was in charge of Jerusalem. They were boasting that Jesus' prophecy of his coming for the destruction had not happened. They were saying that Jesus' prophecy is proved false. They were living proof of that.

Peter goes on to explain that the time lapse is because God is gracious -
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Peter is saying that Jesus will come as he prophesied in the lifetime of THIS GENERATION. There is still time to repent, but soon the time for repentance will end. The heaven on earth which Jerusalem typified will be destroyed as prophesied, with all the elements of the Old Covenant. See e.g. Exo. 25:8, Psalm 84, Gal. 4:3,9

Peter continues by looking on to Jesus' final coming for resurrection & judgment & the NH&NE, with the same instruction Jesus gives at the end of his Olivet prophecy.
13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Mat. 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ...... 42 ‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
That gives the indefinite time - a day as 1,000 years. Our generation still has time for repentance, but the present "millennium" will end, with no further opportunity for repentance.

 

Peter's preaching in Acts showed fulfilment of OT prophecy, together with further application of prophecy to his hearers.

At Pentecost his sermon included -

Acts 2:16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people...........​

Joel 2 was being fulfilled in the evident outpouring of the Holy Spirit;
The last days were beginning;
salvation was by calling on the name of the Lord (Jehovah in Joel);
the wonders they had witnessed in Jesus' ministry & particularly in his crucifixion were evidence of the Messianic prophecies being fulfilled.

Psalm 16, 2 Samuel 7 (and many other Scriptures concerned David's kingship) were fulfilled in the resurrection & ascension of Jesus so that Jesus was sitting on the heavenly throne of David at God's right hand.

29 ‘Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,​

‘“The Lord said to my Lord:
‘Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.’”

36 ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

Awakened & convicted by the Holy Spirit, the Jews were cut to the heart & cried out. Peter declared that Joel's prophecy of salvation was fulfilled by their repentance, baptism & calling on the name of Jesus. Jesus is Jehovah!

So begins the New Covenant age/dispensation. The generation that had rejected its Messiah was called to repent. Peter calls it "this corrupt generation."

Even the self curse of the Jews condemning Jesus could be cancelled by the salvation promise -

Mat. 27:25 All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’

Acts 2:39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’​

And with that promise, God's first promise to Abram is being fulfilled as all - hearers & their children, the dispersion & all those called by the Gospel are welcomed.

Gen. 12:2 ‘I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.’​

 

The same Scripture prophesies a lasting Levitical priesthood presenting sacrificial worship.

Jer. 33:
14 ‘“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

15 ‘“In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.”

17 For this is what the Lord says: “David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.”’​

That Prophecy CANNOT be other than fulfilled by Jesus through his saving death at Calvary that opened the veil of the temple and effectively FINISHED Old Covenant sacrificial worship centred on the temple.

Jesus FINISHED the types & shadows of the Old Covenant and ascended to his heavenly throne - the throne of the LORD occupied in type by David.

 

We need to distinguish between the nation of Israel & the people of Israel, the believing remnant for whom the promised & oft-repeated Covenant relationship applied -

I will be their God, and they will be my people.​

Many thousands of Israelites welcomed the Gospel, beginning with Zechariah & Elisabeth & those who celebrated John's birth, the shepherds, Simeon & Anna. Vast crowds received John's baptism, then followed Jesus at John's direction. The Pharisees complained that "the whole world is gone after him" (John 12:19 Crowds welcomed him into Jerusalem as the Son of David. 3,000 were converted on the day of Pentecost & 5,000 a few days later. Soon many priests were converted -

Acts 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.​

Clearly vast numbers of Israelites responded to the Gospel. Only the leaders & their followers persistently rejected Christ & the Gospel of salvation. They held control of the political nation. And that nation perished as prophesied by Moses (Deut. 18) quoted by Peter (Acts 3) and Jesus in his Olivet prophecy, reaffirmed by Peter when the time neared. (2 Peter 3)

There are of course vast numbers of believers of Israelite descent who were rejected by unbelieving Jews. Their allegiance is to their LORD Jesus Christ who fulfilled the OC prophecies.

The "last times" of the OC ended in AD 70, though I agree that in a sense the last times continue until Jesus returns in glory for resurrection & judgment.

Now tell me, what is specifically prophesied AFTER "the times of the Gentiles?"

 

The problem with using Rom. 11:25-28 to prove a glorious future for the nation of Israel include -
"And so all Israel shall be saved" when you need "And THEN ...." And so" is looking back to the WAY all Israel is is being saved - THEN & NOW. Paul has spent the previous chapters explaining salvation by faith in Christ regardless of ethnicity, and that believing Gentiles are included in Abraham by faith, while unbelieving Jews are in effect uncircumcised covenant breakers. They can be saved, then & down the centuries, by repentance & faith & are grafted into Christ, one with believers of all ethnicities.

The quotes from Isaiah are in the future tense as the coming of Messiah was future when Isaiah prophesied. Jesus did come to Zion, and was cast out & crucified. He rose from the dead & gave the Apostles the Gospel to be preached in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And all become one loving family in Christ, children of God by faith; one holy nation, as Peter explained in 1 Peter 2, referring to Exodus 19.

 

Before I move on, you are always to historical facts to reject all forms of Preterism, amillennialism, etc. Now you are claiming something with absolutely no historical foundation or evidence. Where is the Davidic king, and what is his name, etc.

 

In Acts 3 we have the account of the healing of the lame man, & Peter's preaching to the crowd that gathered. We need to remember that the original 3,000 has been multiplying -

2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.​

Note the fulfilled & future prophecy in Acts 3 -

17 ‘Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ​

The rejection & crucifixion of our Lord was not unforeseen by God & the prophets. In an extraordinary way it was foretold & planned. The Old Covenant demanded full obedience (Exo. 19) & provided a sacrificial system for forgiveness of sin. Jesus was born under the OC & kept all its laws in perfect obedience, and died as a sacrifice for sin, so establishing a New Covenant in his blood. OC prophecy & typology perfectly fulfilled by the LORD Jesus Christ. The refreshing of the life-giving Holy Spirit is promised to all NC believers.

20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. ​

We look for Jesus to return in glory for resurrection & judgment - he died to save his people from their sin, so he provided the Gospel of salvation so that his coming would be a wonderful & perfect restoration as prophesied, and not a terrifying judgment.

22 For Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.”​

The promised prophet, Jesus Christ, has come and the choice given to Peter's hearers, including Jews who had rejected him & demanded his crucifixion, is to acknowledge him, to repent, believe & be baptised in the name of Jesus, or to "be completely cut off from their people.” A terrifying judgment indeed - a dreadful prophecy given by Peter in the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

24 ‘Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.’​

When we read the prophets, we should look for their Messianic fulfilment. Other thread are looking at the understanding & fulfilment at the time of the prophets themselves. Peter sees Jesus in prophecy and the blessings promised to Abraham extended to all nations - all families on earth - beginning with the Jewish hearers who had rejected him.

Prophecy was being fulfilled by the Gospel. Repent, believe and be baptised and enjoy eternal blessings through the promised Messiah, or suffer total cut off.

So Jesus' Gospel command in response to their question -

1:6 Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
7 He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’​

- was being fulfilled by the preaching of the Apostles & the sharing of the Gospel by the new believers, the redeemed people of God, not by an earthly kingdom centred on the nation of Israel.

Already they were being prepared for a spiritual kingdom with Jesus as heavenly king on David's throne, so fulfilling OC prophecy.

 

What Scriptures are there to teach future sacrifices - memorial or other???

Mat. 26:29 does not support that idea.

 

I don't follow your "logic."

Note - Mat. 26:

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

Acts 1:3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
6 Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
7 He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

Acts 2:29 ‘Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, .....
......
36 ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’ ​

In the 40 days after Jesus' resurrection, he spent time with his Apostles, teaching about the kingdom of God & eating with them. At Pentecost, Peter preached the risen & ascended Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus eternal kingdom had begun.

10:41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
​

It is probable that those resurrection meals included wine. Jesus Kingdom had begun - eating & drinking with them would underline that truth, in accordance with his Passover statement.

The Lord's Supper does indeed replace the Passover as we remember our Passover Lamb, sacrificed once for the redemption of Israel & all his people of all nations, crucified, risen & ascended to his heavenly throne.

Remember that when Israel demanded a king, the LORD responded -

1 Sam. 8:6 But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. ​

And when Solomon ascended to David's throne -

1 Chr. 29:10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
‘Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendour,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honour come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
...............
22 They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the Lord that day.
Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. 23 So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him.​

You should find this search for "throne David" helpful.

I repeat -